A proud 78 year United boast is hanging by a thread and could conceivably snap this season.

Paddy McNair and Sam Johnstone’s appearances on the Reds bench at Swansea City on Sunday meant it was now 3,750 consecutive games going back to October 1937 that United had one of their own youth products named in the squad.

But for how much longer will that stat exist?

In this manic transfer window alone Louis van Gaal has shed four United Academy players. Jonny Evans was sold to West Brom, Rafael left for Lyons, Adnan Januzaj has gone on a season long loan to Borussia Dortmund and Tyler Blackett has been farmed out to Celtic for the campaign.

It adds to the long list of United’s home produced kids who’ve been allowed to leave Old Trafford in the Dutchman’s 14-month reign.

Since Van Gaal first picked a United match day 18 last August he has given appearances to 16 players who came through the youth system at Old Trafford.

It backed up the theory that the man who promoted Clarence Seedorf, Edgar Davids and Patrick Kluivert at Ajax, was instrumental in the breakthrough of Andreas Iniesta and Xavi at Barcelona plus the one who championed Bastian Schweinsteiger and Thomas Muller at Bayern Munich was fully on board with regards to the youth policy.

His CV ticked the box following on from Sir Alex Ferguson and Sir Matt Busby’s traditions.